Folded ridge cover and method of fabrication

ABSTRACT

Asphalt composition ridge cover formed from an approximately rectangular sheet of asphalt composition roofing material. The sheet of asphalt composition material is bent around a radius through approximately a ninety degree angle along the centerline so that no more than minimal bending of the ridge cover is required during later installation. The roofing material may be bent by pressing the roofing material into a resilient pad with a tool having the radius while the roofing material is heated

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser.No. 09/433,810 filed Nov. 3, 1999, pending, which is acontinuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/264,155 filed Mar. 5,1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,400.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention relates to the field of roofing, and moreparticularly to preformed asphalt composition roof ridge, hip, and rakecovers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Various types of roofing and, in particular, ridge covers, arewell known in the prior art. In general, the ridge cover selected foruse on a particular roof is selected in conjunction with the shingle orother roof covering, as part of the roofing system. Consequently, in thefollowing discussion of the prior art, the considerations in choice ofthe roofing system will be described, it being understood that a ridgecover is generally selected for comparability in appearance andinstallation with a complete roofing system. Also, the present inventionridge cover is particularly advantageous because of its appearance and,therefore, the following discussion of prior art is limited to thoseapplications where appearance is a substantial consideration.

[0004] Prior art roofing systems include asphalt composition shingles,tile roofs, rock roofs (decorative rock scattered over an asphaltcovered asphalt composition sheet) and shake roofs. In general, each ofthese types have certain features and disadvantages and the choice forany particular installation is generally a compromise to achieve thedesired results. By way of example, a tile roof may be a very attractiveroof, but it is both an expensive and a heavy roofing material,typically weighing as much as 900 pounds per 100 square feet. The weightof such roofs may require that the roof structure itself be increasedover that which would be used with another type of roofing material and,consequently, the cost associated with tile roofs may include anincremental cost due to the increases of structural requirements in thebuilding itself. Such roofs, however, are both durable and attractiveand are used where these are prime considerations. Also, in some areasof the country where there is a substantial hazard of fire due to hotashes originating from nearby brush fire such roofs are used becausethey are fire proof.

[0005] Rock roofs are often used for homes in some parts of the countryand are a reasonable good compromise between cost and appearance. Thistype of roof is generally limited to low pitch roofs since the rocks arenot all physically secured to the underlying asphalt. Also, the rockstend to become scattered with time because of the effects of high winds,heavy rains or the sweeping effect of branches on neighboring trees and,therefore, must be replaced or replenished occasionally to maintain thedesired appearance.

[0006] Shake roofs are roofs made up of tapered wooden strips nailed tothe roof much like shingles and are popular in parts of this countrybecause of their highly attractive appearance and because theyesthetically conform to many types of building construction. This typeof roof is somewhat less expensive than a tile roof and is much lighter,characteristically having weights of approximately 450 pounds per 100square feet. However, such a roof is not as durable as most other typesof roofs since it is subjected to deterioration from environmentalexposure and the individual wooden members are apt to crack when walkedon, and to thereafter leak.

[0007] Furthermore, unless specially treated such roofs are highlyinflammable and create a substantial fire hazard whenever the roof maybe exposed to hot ashes originating from a neighboring fire.

[0008] An asphalt composition roof made up of individual shingles is arelatively durable, light-weight and inexpensive roof. Such a roof mayhave a weight of approximately 235 pounds per hundred square feet and isfairly easily and quickly installed. The asphalt is not easily ignitedand fire resulting from hot ashes falling on the roof is furtherinhibited by the granular surface on such roofs. However, this type ofroof is a very flat and bland type of roof, the shingles having littlethickness and distinctive character to create an attractive appearance.Though such shingles may be made with a variety of color granules on thesurface, thereby creating a reasonable choice of colors for the finalroof, and the individual shingles create a reasonably attractive patternon the roof, such a roof is a roof with pattern and color withoutdimension, since the individual shingles are only on the order ofone-eighth to three-sixteenths of an inch thick, and little depth ordimension is given by the overlap of one shingle by another.Consequently, though the appearance is the only substantial negativefactor associated with such roofs, they are not commonly used ininstallation where considerations of appearance outweigh considerationsof cost. The use of asphalt composition ridge covers fabricated toincrease the thickness of the exposed overlapping end can improve theoverall appearance of an asphalt composition roof by creating adimensional appearance. An example of such an asphalt composition ridgecover is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,400 issued to the inventors ofthe present invention.

[0009] Asphalt composition material is prone to cracking when folded.Cracking in ridge covers along the fold forming the ridge line is apersistent problem in asphalt composition ridge covers. It is desirableto provide asphalt composition ridge covers that are less susceptible tocracking along the ridge line.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present invention is employed in the fabrication of asphaltcomposition ridge covers to create an appearance similar to that of ashake shingle roof. The invention generally comprises a ridge coverwhich is formed by folding a plurality of tabs of a pair of unfoldedridge covers over one another to create a ridge cover which graduallythickens as one proceeds from the back of the ridge cover toward thefront of the ridge cover.

[0011] The first ridge cover is placed on the roof ridge in a normalmanner. The second ridge cover is placed on the first such that thefront end is set back about eight inches from the front end of the firstridge cover. Each additional ridge cover is deployed in a manner similarto the preceding ridge cover. The ridge covers appear, at the exposedend, about 5 to 7 times as thick as the conventional asphalt shingle,creating an attractive appearance by adding a dimensional characteristicto the ridge cover while maintaining full double coverage. A suitableadhesive may be used to facilitate installation.

[0012] In the presently preferred embodiment, the increased thickness isformed by folding multiple tabs on one end of each of two pieces whichare placed and sized such that when all folds are completed, the desiredthickened end is produced. The two pieces are adhesively joined tomaintain the desired configuration of the folded tabs while leaving thearea adjacent to the longitudinal centerline free of adhesive. Theassembled ridge cover is bent around a radius along its longitudinalcenterline to form about a ninety degree angle. When the longitudinalbend is completed, the ridge cover then has the proper shape forinstallation on a ridge. A solid filler material, such as ground rubberparticles, may be mixed with the adhesive so that the adhesive jointincreases the thickness of the assembled ridge cover. The rounded bendat the centerline fold and the absence of adhesive provides a pliablefold without stress concentrations. The resulting pre-folded ridge coveris less susceptible to cracking along the centerline fold.

[0013] The shape and construction of the folded ridge cover allows thefolded covers to be economically packed for shipping. One particularshape of the unfolded cover pieces permits a very economical cutting ofsuch covers from rectangles of asphalt composition material of industrystandard dimensions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014]FIG. 1 is a drawing of a portion of a building roof illustratingthe appearance of the ridge cover of the present invention.

[0015]FIG. 2 is a cross section taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

[0016]FIG. 3 is an illustration of three ridge covers shown in anexploded view to illustrate the manner in which each ridge cover islocated with respect to another ridge cover.

[0017]FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the pieces used to fabricate aridge cover of the present invention.

[0018]FIG. 5 is a rectangle of asphalt composition material showing thelayout for cutting multiple ridge covers therefrom.

[0019]FIG. 6 shows the configuration of the unfolded ridge cover of thepresent invention.

[0020]FIG. 7 shows the first folds made to the ridge cover of FIG. 6.

[0021]FIG. 8 shows the final fold made to the ridge cover of FIG. 6.

[0022]FIG. 9 is a cross section of a ridge cover during impact forming.

[0023]FIG. 10 is a drawing of three ridge covers in a stackedconfiguration for storage or shipping.

[0024]FIG. 11 shows the installation of the preferred embodiment of theridge cover of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] First referring to FIG. 1, an illustration of the presentinvention ridge cover 24, as installed on a typical roof, may be seen.It is to be understood that the phrase ridge cover, as used herein, isused in the broad sense to include hip covers, rake pieces, and thelike, and is used merely as a convenient phrase for identifying all suchcovers. Such covers may be applied along a ridge line 20, a hip line 22,a rake line 23, or generally at any intersection of two roof planes oredge of a roof plane.

[0026] In its simplest form, a ridge cover for an asphalt compositionroof can be an approximately rectangular sheet of roofing material bentalong its centerline to substantially the same angle as the angle formedby the roofing surfaces where they meet at the ridge line of the roof.In the description herein and as used in the claims, the phrase“approximately rectangular” is used to distinguish from round, oval,triangular or other shapes departing substantially from a rectangularshape, and includes among other shapes, truly rectangular shapes, foursided shapes wherein two opposite sides are parallel and the other twosides are somewhat non parallel so as to define a member having asomewhat tapered width, and a stepped shape as shown in the Figuresherein (see FIGS. 2 through 7).

[0027] Also the asphalt composition roofing material is characterized bya mat or roving of fibrous material typically saturated with asphalt,and having a layer of asphalt bonding inorganic granules to the topsurface of the roofing material. The mat may be an organic mat, or aninorganic mat such as a fiberglass mat, and the asphalt may have orinclude a modifier, locally or throughout, to make the material moreflexible, particularly in cold weather, though one of the features ofthe present invention is the minimization of the bending of the ridgecover required on installation, thereby substantially eliminating theadvantage of a flexiblizer. Generally the selection of the mat material,the granule color, etc. will be coordinated with the same parameters forthe shingles on the roof for overall physical and visual compatibility.

[0028] It will be appreciated that when any material is bent, the outersurface of the bend is placed in tension and the inner surface iscompressed. It will also be appreciated that asphalt composition roofingmaterial is a complex elastomeric material with non-uniform propertieswith behavior that is not accurately described with reference to modelsbased on ideal materials. Nonetheless, it is known that asphaltcomposition roofing material is susceptible to cracking along lineswhere it has been bent. Cracking may occur during the bending operationor later when the material ages or is exposed to adverse conditions.Asphalt composition roofing material becomes brittle when cold and itcan be virtually impossible to bend without material failure attemperatures that can be encountered when installing a roof,particularly if the ambient temperatures is below 50° F. While asphaltcomposition ridge covers can be made at the time of roofing installationeither from specially cut material that is folded by the installer orfrom field shingle material that is cut and folded by the installer,bending and folding at the time of installation produces ridge coversthat are highly susceptible to cracking along the folds and bends.

[0029] The present invention provides asphalt composition ridge coversthat are less susceptible to cracking along the folds and bends byproviding a ridge cover that is preformed so that only minimal bendingof the ridge cover is required during later installation. There are anumber of aspects of the inventive ridge cover that are believed tocontribute to the improved characteristics of resistance to cracking.The bend through approximately 90 degrees that forms the ridge line isthe most important bend in terms of overall durability of the ridgecover as a part of the roofing system. The inventive ridge cover makesthis bend around a radius to produce less tension on the outer surfaceof the bend. Preferably the bending and folding are done at elevatedtemperatures to improve the elasticity of the material during theseoperations. Preferably the bending along the ridge line is done by animpact forming method described below to improve the characteristics ofthe material in the bent region. It has been found that a ridge covermanufactured with a preformed bend according to the invention exhibitsimproved durability along the ridge line as compared to other ridgecovers, and particularly as compared to ridge covers that are bent orfolded at the time of installation.

[0030] In the description herein and as used in the claims, the phrase“bent around a radius” is used to mean a bend that is formed such thatthe inner surface of the bent material has a substantial radius ascompared to the thickness of the material such that the tensionintroduced in the outside surface of the bent material is substantiallyless than it would be if the material were bent over a sharp edge.Asphalt composition roofing material typically has a thickness of aboutone-eighth to three-sixteenths of an inch. A bending radius ofone-fourth inch has been found to be satisfactory for bending ridgecovers made from a double thickness of roofing material.

[0031] It has been found that the ridge line bend may be advantageouslyformed by an impact forming method. A cross section of a ridge cover 90made from a double thickness of roofing material 92, 94 is shown duringimpact forming in FIG. 9. The outer surface 93 of the unbent ridgecover, which is typically coated with granules such as crushed rock, issupported on a resilient surface 96, such as a soft rubber block. A tool98 having the bending radius is pressed into the ridge cover 90 to bendthe ridge cover along the ridge line 91. Preferably the rubber block 96is a soft solid rubber about one inch thick. Preferably the tool 98 is around steel bar about one-half inch in diameter. Preferably the tool ispressed into the ridge cover 90 about one-fourth of an inch after thetool makes contact with the inside surface 95 of the ridge cover 90. Itis believed that this impact forming method of bending is advantageousbecause the resilient surface 96 supports the outer granule coveredsurface 93 and presses the granules into the outer surface duringbending. This may improve the bonding of the granules to the asphaltcomposition material 92, particularly if the material is warm during theimpact forming process, which provides a more durable material along theridge line 91. It is also believed that the impact forming supports bothsurfaces 93, 95 of the material 92, 94 as it is bent to provide moreuniform material properties of the bent region 91 after bending andthereby reducing discontinuities that cause stress concentrations thatcould develop into cracks and failures.

[0032] It will be appreciated that performing ridge covers prior toinstallation allows the ridge covers to be formed from asphaltcomposition material that is warmed. Warming softens the asphaltmaterial that impregnates the fibrous material and improves thepliability of the asphalt composition for subsequent bending and foldingoperations. The temperature of the asphalt composition material istypically elevated to above 150° F., preferably to between 180° F. and220° F., for the bending and folding operations. It will be appreciatedthat heating the asphalt composition material to these temperatures andhandling the heated material for bending and folding at the time ofinstallation would be difficult. Thus there is a significant advantageto manufacturing and shipping a preformed asphalt composition ridgecover that requires only minimal bending during later installation.

[0033] While an embodiment of the inventive ridge cover may be producedas described above from a single approximately rectangular sheet ofroofing material with a single bend along the ridge line, such a ridgecover offers no aesthetic advantage. Embodiments of the inventive ridgecover that provide a thickened exposed end for an improved appearanceare also possible. It may be seen that the ridge 20, hip 22, and rake 23in FIG. 1 are characterized by a pleasant physical appearance as aresult of the raising of the outward extending end of the ridge coversto provide an appearance more like a shake roof ridge cover. The mannerin which this is achieved in the preferred embodiment is illustrated inFIG. 2, which is a cross section taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

[0034] Each ridge cover 24 is comprised of a front end portion 26, amiddle portion 28 and a back end portion 30. When folded, the ridgecover is approximately 11½ inches long and each side of the ridge coveris approximately 4 inches wide. When installed, the front end portion 26of a second ridge cover 24 is placed over the back end portion 30 of afirst ridge cover 24 so as to cover the nails 32 used to secure thefirst ridge cover at its back end portion 30 to the roof 34. Thus nonails 32 are left exposed. Typically, the front edge 36 of the secondridge cover 24 is set back approximately 8 inches from the front edge 36of the first ridge cover. Successive ridge covers 24 are installedupward along a ridge 20 in a similar manner.

[0035] A perspective of one embodiment of a finished ridge cover 24 isshown in FIG. 3 clearly illustrating the solid thickened front edge 36of each ridge cover. A notch 37 is provided at each corner of the backend portion 30. The function of these notches 37 is partly cosmetic.Without the notch 37, the rear corners of a lower ridge cover wouldproject sideways out from under the front edge 36 of the next ridgecover up the ridge. The notch 37 eliminates the unappealing projections.The notch 37 also serves as a guide to the roofer as to how far oneridge cover should overlap the other i.e., the distance from notch 37 tothe front edge 36 is about 8.2 inches. The front edge 36 of one ridgecover should be installed so that it sits on the lower ridge cover atthe lower end of a notch 37. This notch 37 eliminates the need for theroofer to measure, gauge or estimate overlap. The resulting overlap isuniform along the entire ridge 20.

[0036] The thickness of each ridge cover 24 gradually decreases towardthe back end portion 30 where the ridge cover 24 is as thick as a singlesheet of conventional asphalt composition material. A ridge bend 39 inthe ridge cover 24 of approximately ninety degrees is located along thelongitudinal centerline 38 of each ridge cover. The ridge bend 39 givesthe ridge cover 24 a pleasing appearance and permits the ridge cover tostraddle the ridge 20 of the roof 34 and also lie in contact with theroof on both sides of the ridge 20. The angle between the two sides ofthe ridge cover 24 may be adjusted during installation so that the ridgecover fits closely to the roof. It is preferred that the ridge cover isfabricated with an angle that is slightly more acute than required forthe typical roof so that the adjustment is typically one of opening theridge cover to a more obtuse angle and thereby reducing the tension inthe outer surface in the area of the ridge bend 39. This tends to reducethe occurrence of cracking along the ridge bend 39. The ridge cover 24is stored and shipped with the approximately ninety degree ridge bend 39along the centerline 38. Ridge covers 24 can be stacked in a nestedfashion in alternating directions so that the front portion 26 of oneridge cover 24 is stacked on top of the back end portion 30 of the nextridge cover 24. Ridge covers 24 so stacked are largely self protectingand only minimal additional packaging is required to hold them togetherfor storage or shipping.

[0037] The detailed cross sectional view of the ridge cover 24 in FIG.11 shows the manner of providing increased thickness at the front endportion 26. The manner of assembly and folding provides for fourthicknesses reducing to three thicknesses at the front end portion 26,two thicknesses in the middle portion 28 and a single thickness at theback end portion 30. A smooth curved front edge 36 is also provided byreason of the folding method disclosed herein.

[0038] Each ridge cover 24 is fabricated from two generally rectangularpieces of roofing material, a top piece 50 and a bottom piece 60, whichmay be seen in plan view in FIG. 4a and 4 b. Both pieces 50, 60 have thesame general configuration including two foldable tabs 52 a, 52 b, 62 a,62 b, at one end 56, 66 of the central portion of the piece 50, 60 and acentral tab defined by notches 37 a, 37 b at the opposite end of thecentral portion. The foldable tabs 52 a, 52 b of the top piece may bejoined where they meet along the centerline in the vicinity of the edgeof the roofing material as shown so that the tabs will not splayoutwardly when installed. Each piece has a central notch 76 a, 76 bdesigned to permit folding as later described. The roofing material maybe any generally flat, flexible material suitable for roofingapplications including, but not limited to, asphalt impregnated feltcomposition, fiberglass materials, rubberized compositions, andcomposites with various modifiers to improve flexibility and durability.One or both pieces of roofing material may have a crushed rock surface.

[0039] The top piece 50 and the bottom piece 60 are cut from the parentsheet 40. As shown in FIG. 5a and 5 b, one particular embodiment of theinvention allows five pieces 50, 60 to be efficiently cut from a parentsheet 40 that is a rectangle of asphalt saturated felt cut to anindustry standard dimension of approximately 13¼ by 39¼ inches. Theminimal waste material, shown by hatched lines in FIG. 5a and 5 b, iscut away, such as by die cutting. Fabrication of the ridge cover 24 ispreferably carried out with the asphalt composition roofing 40 at anelevated temperature, preferably about 200° F., to allow bending withoutcracking.

[0040] Adhesive is applied to the underside of the top piece 50substantially in the locations shown by cross-hatching 72, 73 in FIG. 6.It has been found to be desirable not to allow adhesive to extend intothe areas adjacent to the ridge bend 39. It is believed that adhesive inthe area of the ridge bend causes the ridge bend to be less pliable andintroduces a stress concentration at the boundary of the adhesivethereby increasing the possibility of cracking when the ridge cover isadjusted during installation. Solid filler particles, such as groundrubber particles, may be added to the adhesive to increase the thicknessof the assembly. A suitable filler can be made from used vehicle tires,crushed rock, cut scrap roofing material, or used roofing. One methodfor adding the solid filler is applying the adhesive to the piece,spreading solid filler particles over the piece, and then removing theloose particles. For example, loose particles may be removed by blowingair on the piece.

[0041] The top piece 50 is then assembled to the bottom piece 60 suchthat the sides 58 a, 58 b, 68 a, 68 b and notches 37 a, 37 b of the twopieces 50, 60 are substantially in alignment. The front ends 52, 62 andback ends 54, 64 may or may not be aligned. Preferably the front end 52of the top piece 50 projects forward from the front end 62 of the bottompiece 60 by approximately 1 inch so that the front end 62 of the bottompiece 60 is captured by the front end 52 of the top piece 50.Preferably, the back end 64 of the bottom piece 60 projects rearwardfrom the back end 54 of the top piece 50 by approximately 1 inch so thatthe back end of the ridge cover is a single thickness of material. Inone embodiment of the method of fabrication, a plurality of top pieces60 are joined to a like plurality of bottom pieces 50 and the followingfolding operations are preferably completed before individual assembliesare slit apart along the side lines 58, 68 shown in FIG. 5a and 5 b.

[0042] The foldable tabs 52 a, 52 b, 62 a, 62 b are folded over to formthe thickened end 36 of the ridge cover as shown in FIG. 7a, 7 b, and 7c. After folding, the front edges of the foldable tabs 52 a, 52 b of thetop piece 50 will be in contact or nearly in contact with the undersideof the middle portion 28 of the bottom piece 60 as may be seen in FIG.7b. The tabs may be bent at approximately ninety degrees along twocrease lines 66 a, 66 b that are spaced apart by some distance,preferably ⅜ to ¾ of an inch, to form the front edge 36 of the ridgecover as may be seen in FIG. 7b and 7 c. In the embodiment where aplurality of pieces have been folded while joined, the pieces are nowslit apart to form a plurality of assemblies.

[0043] Finally, the assembly is bent to along the centerline 38,preferably through approximately ninety degrees, to form the ridge bend39 as may be seen in FIG. 8. The ridge bend 39 is formed insubstantially the same way as previously described for the embodimentproduced from a single approximately rectangular sheet of roofingmaterial. The bend is around a radius, preferably of approximatelyone-quarter of an inch. Preferably the bending and folding are done atelevated temperatures, preferably above 150° F. and more preferablybetween 180° F. and 220 F. Preferably the bending along the centerline38 is done by the impact forming method described above.

[0044] Once the final fold has been made and the ridge cover 24 hastaken on the form shown in FIG. 8, the ridge cover 24 is prepared forshipment and installation. The unique method of fabrication produces aridge cover 24 that is substantially rigid and largely self protecting.Finished ridge covers can be stacked in a nested fashion with the ridgebend 39 of one ridge cover 24 placed on top of the ridge bend 39 of theridge cover 24 below as shown in FIG. 10. The ridge covers are stackedwith the front portion 26 of one ridge cover 24 being stacked above theback end portion 30 of the ridge cover 24 below. In this way, the singlethickness back end portion 30 of one ridge cover 24 is protected by themore rigid front portions 26 of the adjacent ridge covers 24. Thisarrangement also produces a straight stack by offsetting the tapers ofthe ridge covers 24. With this stacking arrangement, the finished ridgecovers are inexpensively packaged for storage and shipment. It isdesirable that the finished ridge covers be packaged in a manner thatprotects the ridge covers from changes in the preformed angle at theridge line 38.

[0045] The rigidity of the ridge cover 24 created by the doublethickness folded structure allows the ridge covers to be installed bynailing or stapling without use of adhesives. If desired, two regions ofadhesive 74 may be used on the underside of the front end portion 26 asshown in FIG. 11. Such an adhesive 74 may be provided in the fabricatedridge cover by applying an adhesive 74 that will flow when heated by thesun's warmth to adhere the front end portion 26 of one ridge cover tothe back end portion 30 of an underlying ridge cover as shown in FIG. 8and 9. A release film 75 may be applied to the adhesive 74, such as arelease film in the form of a tape. The essential feature of the releasefilm 75 is that it adhere to and yet be readily releasable from contactwith the adhesive 74. The release film 75 is used to prevent theadhesive 74 from adhering to the back end portion 30 of an underlyingridge cover when in the packed position. The release film 75 is readilyseparated from the adhesive 74 prior to installation. Each ridge coveris secured by nails 32 as shown in FIG. 11. The nails are driven throughthe double thickness portion of the ridge cover 24 in the area that willbe covered by the next ridge cover 24. The rear edge 54 of the centraltab portion of the top piece 50 is located about 2 inches to the rear ofthe corner of the notches 37 to provide 2 inches of double thicknesswithin which the nails should be driven.

[0046] There has thus been provided a novel preformed asphaltcomposition ridge cover where the bend along the ridge line is formed ina manner that reduces the susceptibility to cracking. While thedescription of the preferred embodiment has been with specific referenceto FIGS. 1-11, it should be understood that various modifications,additions and substitutions may be made to the structure and method ofthe invention without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A ridge cover comprising: a generally rectangularfirst sheet of roofing material having a first end, a second end, afirst edge, a second edge, and a first central portion having a firstlongitudinal centerline; a first foldable tab integrally formed with thefirst end extending from proximate the first longitudinal centerline toproximate the first edge and folded back upon the first central portion;a second foldable tab integrally formed with the first end extendingfrom proximate the first longitudinal centerline to proximate the secondedge and folded back upon the first central portion; a generallyrectangular second sheet of roofing material having a third end, afourth end, a third edge, a fourth edge, and a second central portionhaving a second longitudinal centerline, the second longitudinalcenterline being adjacent to the first longitudinal centerline; a thirdfoldable tab integrally formed with the third end extending fromproximate the second longitudinal centerline to proximate the third edgeand folded back upon the first central portion; and a fourth foldabletab integrally formed with the third end extending from proximate thesecond longitudinal centerline to proximate the fourth edge and foldedback upon the first central portion; wherein the first and second sheetsof roofing material are bent around a radius along the first and secondlongitudinal centerlines.
 2. The ridge cover according to claim 1wherein the first and second sheets of roofing material are bent bypressing the roofing material into a resilient pad with a tool havingthe radius.
 3. The ridge cover according to claim 1 wherein the firstand second sheets of roofing material are bent while the roofingmaterial is heated to at least 150° F.
 4. The ridge cover according toclaim 1 wherein the first and second sheets of roofing material are bentwhile the roofing material is heated to between 180° F. and 220° F. 5.The ridge cover according to claim 1 wherein the third foldable tab isjoined to the first foldable tab, and the fourth foldable tab is joinedto the second foldable tab.
 6. The ridge cover according to claim 1further comprising an adhesive that joins the third foldable tab to thefirst foldable tab, and the fourth foldable tab to the second foldabletab and wherein there is no adhesive adjacent the first and secondlongitudinal centerlines.
 7. The ridge cover according to claim 6further comprising solid filler particles mixed with the adhesive. 8.The ridge cover according to claim 7 wherein the solid filler particlesinclude at least one of rubber particles, crushed rock, and groundroofing material.
 9. The ridge cover of claim 1 further comprising thethird foldable tab folded into contact with a first portion of the firstcentral portion and the fourth foldable tab folded into contact with asecond portion of the first central portion.
 10. The ridge coveraccording to claim 1 wherein the lengths of the first and secondfoldable tabs are less than the lengths of the third and fourth foldabletabs.
 11. The ridge cover according to claim 1 wherein the roofingmaterial comprises asphalt composition material.
 12. The ridge coveraccording to claim 1 wherein the roofing material comprises fiberglassmaterial.
 13. The ridge cover according to claim 1 wherein the roofingmaterial comprises rubberized material.
 14. The ridge cover according toclaim 1 further comprising a first central tab integrally formed withthe second end and having a width slightly less than the width of thefirst central portion and a second central tab integrally formed withthe fourth end and having a width slightly less than the width of thesecond central portion.
 15. The ridge cover according to claim 14wherein the first and second central tabs are each provided with a pairof notches for indicating the required extent of overlap of one ridgecover by the adjacent ridge cover when installed on a ridge.
 16. Theridge cover according to claim 14 wherein the first central tab islonger than the second central tab.
 17. The ridge cover according toclaim 1 wherein the first sheet of roofing material is substantially thesame size as the second sheet of roofing material.
 18. A method offabricating a ridge cover comprising: providing a generally rectangularfirst sheet of roofing material having a first end, a second end, afirst edge, a second edge, and a first central portion having a firstlongitudinal centerline; forming in the first sheet a first foldable tabintegrally formed with the first end extending from proximate the firstlongitudinal centerline to proximate the first edge; forming in thefirst sheet a second foldable tab integrally formed with the first endextending from proximate the first longitudinal centerline to proximatethe second edge; providing a generally rectangular second sheet ofroofing material having a third end, a fourth end, a third edge, afourth edge, and a second central portion having a second longitudinalcenterline, the second longitudinal centerline being adjacent the firstlongitudinal centerline; forming in the second sheet a third foldabletab integrally formed with the third end extending from proximate thesecond longitudinal centerline to proximate the third edge; forming inthe second sheet a fourth foldable tab integrally formed with the thirdend extending from proximate the second longitudinal centerline toproximate the fourth edge; joining the first piece and the second piecesuch that the first piece is substantially below the second piece, thefirst edge is proximate the third edge, the second edge is proximate thefourth edge; folding the first and third foldable tabs such that the endof the third foldable tab is proximate a first portion of the firstcentral body portion; folding the second and fourth foldable tabs suchthat the end of the fourth foldable tab is proximate a second portion ofthe first central body portion; bending the first and second sheets ofroofing material around a radius along the first and second longitudinalcenterlines.
 19. The method according to claim 18 wherein bendingfurther comprises pressing the roofing material into a resilient padwith a tool having the radius.
 20. The method according to claim 18further comprising heating the first and second sheets of roofingmaterial prior to folding and bending such that the folding and bendingoccurs while the first and second sheets of roofing material are atleast 150° F.
 21. The method according to claim 18 further comprisingheating the first and second sheets of roofing material prior to foldingand bending such that the folding and bending occurs while the first andsecond sheets of roofing material are between 180° F. and 220° F. 22.The method according to claim 21 wherein bending further comprisespressing the roofing material into a resilient pad with a tool havingthe radius.
 23. The method according to claim 18 wherein the forming ofthe third and fourth foldable tabs further comprises joining the thirdfoldable tab to the first foldable tab, and the fourth foldable tab tothe second foldable tab with an adhesive wherein there is no adhesiveadjacent the first and second longitudinal centerlines.
 24. The methodaccording to claim 18 wherein the providing roofing material furthercomprises providing one of asphalt composition material, fiberglassmaterial, and rubberized material.
 25. The method according to claim 18further comprising: forming in the first sheet a first central tabintegrally formed with the second end and having a width slightly lessthan the width of the first central portion; and forming in the secondsheet a second central tab integrally formed with the fourth end andhaving a width slightly less than the width of the second centralportion.
 26. The method according to claim 25 wherein forming the firstand second central tabs further comprises providing a pair of notchesfor indicating the required extent of overlap of one ridge cover by theadjacent ridge cover when installed on a ridge.
 27. The method accordingto claim 25 wherein forming the first and second central tabs is suchthat the first central tab is longer than the second central tab. 28.The method according to claim 18 wherein joining further comprisesjoining with an adhesive such that there is no adhesive adjacent thefirst and second longitudinal centerlines.
 29. The method according toclaim 28, the adhesive containing solid filler particles.
 30. The methodaccording to claim 29 wherein the solid filler particles include atleast one of rubber particles, crushed rock, and ground roofingmaterial.
 31. The method of claim 18 wherein joining the first piece andthe second piece further comprises joining the first piece and thesecond piece with the first end displaced inwardly from the third end,and the fourth end displaced inwardly from the second end.
 32. A methodof fabricating a number of ridge covers comprising: providing agenerally rectangular first sheet of roofing material, having a firsttop surface and an opposing first bottom surface; providing a generallyrectangular second sheet of roofing material, having a second topsurface and an opposing second bottom surface and having a sizesubstantially the same as the first sheet; joining the first top surfaceto the second bottom surface to form a laminated sheet, wherein thesides of the first and the second sheet substantially coincide to form afirst side and an opposing second side, and the laminated sheet furthercomprises the number of identical assemblies, each assembly havingforward and rearward edges that coincides with the forward and rearwardedges of the laminated sheet, two opposing sides substantially parallelto the sides of the laminated sheet, and a centerline midway between thetwo opposing sides; forming the number of first foldable tabs integrallyformed with the forward edge extending from proximate the number ofcenterlines toward the first side of the laminated sheet; forming thenumber of second foldable tabs integrally formed with the forward edgeextending from proximate the number of centerlines toward the secondside of the laminated sheet; folding the first and second foldable tabssuch that the forward edge is proximate the bottom of the laminatedsheet; cutting the laminated sheet along the joined sides of adjacentassemblies to separate the assemblies; bending each of the assembliesaround a radius along the centerline.
 33. The method according to claim32 wherein bending further comprises pressing the roofing material intoa resilient pad with a tool having the radius.
 34. The method accordingto claim 32 further comprising heating the first and second sheets ofroofing material prior to folding and bending such that the folding andbending occurs while the first and second sheets of roofing material areat least 150° F.
 35. The method according to claim 32 further comprisingheating the first and second sheets of roofing material prior to foldingand bending such that the folding and bending occurs while the first andsecond sheets of roofing material are between 180° F. and 220° F. 36.The method according to claim 32 wherein bending further comprisespressing the roofing material into a resilient pad with a tool havingthe radius.
 37. The method according to claim 32 further comprising:forming a central tab in each of the number of assemblies, each thecentral tab being integrally formed with the rearward end and having awidth slightly less than the width of the assembly.
 38. The methodaccording to claim 37 wherein forming the central tabs further comprisesproviding a pair of notches for indicating the required extent ofoverlap of one ridge cover by the adjacent ridge cover when installed ona ridge.
 39. The method according to claim 32 wherein joining furthercomprises joining with an adhesive such that there is no adhesive thefirst and second longitudinal centerlines the number of identicalassemblies.
 40. The method of claim 32 wherein joining the first topsurface to the second bottom surface further comprises joining the firsttop surface to the second bottom surface with the ends of the secondsheet disposed forwardly of the corresponding ends of the first sheet toform a forward edge from one of the edges of the second sheet and arearward edge from one of the edges of the first sheet.
 41. An asphaltcomposition ridge cover comprising: an approximately rectangular sheetof asphalt composition roofing material having top and bottom surfaces,first and second ends, and first and second side edges on each side of aridge cover centerline, the sheet of asphalt composition material beingbent around a radius through approximately a ninety degree angle alongthe centerline so that no more than minimal bending of the ridge coveris required during later installation.
 42. The ridge cover according toclaim 41 wherein the roofing material is bent by pressing the roofingmaterial into a resilient pad with a tool having the radius.
 43. Theridge cover according to claim 41 wherein the roofing material is bentwhile the roofing material is heated to at least 150° F.
 44. The ridgecover according to claim 41 wherein the roofing material is bent whilethe roofing material is heated to between 180° F. and 220° F.
 45. Theridge cover according to claim 41 wherein the roofing material is bentby pressing the roofing material into a resilient pad with a tool havingthe radius while the roofing material is heated to between 180° F. and220° F.